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Nostalgia & History > They were common as dirt, now most of them just blew awayDate: 04/22/21 04:34 They were common as dirt, now most of them just blew away Author: Roadjob I figured that the switcher was another item so mundane and ordinary, that they, many times were just fill in the blanks between the "cool" trains. Many times on a slow day on the rails as far as the road jobs were concerned, I wished there were as many big trains as the little puddle jumpers going about their back and forth maneuver. They were always there doing their thing, so I shot them, knowing I would most likely never bother printing a final image of them. But that was then, and this is now. Switchers on what's left of Class 1 railroads are the rare birds for sure. Their legions have been reduced to squads, and now I would love to be "bored" again, watching them ply their trade in Baltimore, Chicago, Omaha, Los Angeles, or a hundred other places. You got it right Bob..."It's all crap now!"
top...Cumberland middle...Baltimore bottom...Denver...1968 to be exact. Thanks to my editors,lol! Bill Rettberg Bel Air, MD Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/22/21 05:34 by Roadjob.    Date: 04/22/21 04:36 Re: They were common as dirt, now most of them just blew away Author: Roadjob top...Baltimore
middle...Altoona bottom...Chicago Bill Rettberg Bel Air, MD    Date: 04/22/21 04:37 Re: They were common as dirt, now most of them just blew away Author: Roadjob top...Provo Utah
middle...Baltimore bottom...Petersburg Va. Bill Rettberg Bel Air, MD    Date: 04/22/21 05:02 Re: They were common as dirt, now most of them just blew away Author: refarkas Photo two in Baltimore is my favorite. B&O 9706 with five cars looks so much like the ALCO or EMD switchers with their trains I saw in Akron. It's amazing how your photos bring up memories of our own encounters.
Bob Date: 04/22/21 05:45 Re: They were common as dirt, now most of them just blew away Author: gcm Great variety in these excellent images
Gary Date: 04/22/21 06:58 Re: They were common as dirt, now most of them just blew away Author: ClubCar I love them all especially those of the B&O and I see that your one photo shows the GP-9 6606 passenger unit going by the South Baltimore Branch line.
John in White Marsh, Maryland Date: 04/22/21 08:59 Re: They were common as dirt, now most of them just blew away Author: dan The C&S unit in Denver is on the bridge that now is the only active rr Bridge crossing cherry creek and where the consolidated main line (joint Line) now sends all trains going south and light rail is on the left. in 1968 the majority of the traffic went thru Union Station to the east a couple blocks
Date: 04/22/21 12:38 Re: They were common as dirt, now most of them just blew away Author: YoungOldHead Any idea why B&O 5076 had what looks like a type of protective system of bars on the plaform ?
Date: 04/22/21 22:30 Re: They were common as dirt, now most of them just blew away Author: wpamtk YoungOldHead Wrote:
------------------------------------------------------- > Any idea why B&O 5076 had what looks like a type > of protective system of bars on the plaform ? Nickel Plate Road and Peoria & Pekin Union had them too. I imagine that they were to protect an employee from falling over the end handrails when exiting the cab (perhaps being thrown by slack action) and being run over. Perhaps NKP and P&PU had this happen and so adopted the arrangement. Why B&O did it as maybe a "one-off" would be my question. From personal experience, when you exit the cab and are a couple of steps above frame level it seems that it would be very easy to tumble over the end handrails should the slack run out or something similar. Date: 04/23/21 06:12 Re: They were common as dirt, now most of them just blew away Author: billpeterson B&O 5076 is ex-C&O same #.
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